My mom is staying with us for a couple of weeks, so we decided to head up to Ames for some lunch on a cold and windy day. I had been wanting to take a look the "new" Whiskey River, located at 134 Main Street in Ames. Owners Joe and Nicki Romare bought the property in the summer of 2010 after it had been closed for several years. They totally renovated the bar, opened up in the fall of 2011, and it looks great! Lots of brick, funky wallpaper and some unique decor all add up to a fun, casual spot for lunch or dinner.

And I love this cool new neon they have outside the door.

It's a pretty big space, lots of tables and booths and a nice big wooden bar - take a look at those comfy leather bar stools. And you have to love a place with a moose on the wall - well, at least I do!

There is a pool table, the usual games to keep you busy, along with several nice flat screens to watch the game. They have Happy Hour Monday - Thursday from 4 - 7 and feature $2.50 domestic bottles and well drinks. On Friday, it's F.A.W. (Fridays After Work) from 3 - 6, same $2.50 domestic bottles and wells, but also FREE chips and salsa. And on Sundays they have a Bloody Mary Bar! Actually, it's breakfast AND the bloody mary bar for only $10 from 10am - 2pm.

And the addition of this upside down Christmas tree is only available for a short time. :)

I love that you can see right into the kitchen! This nice fellow cooked up our lunch.

The menu gives you plenty of choices - starters like 3 different types of egg rolls, 4 different quesadillas, nachos, poppers, and the usual fried goodies. A couple of entree salads looked interesting. You'll find a mac & cheese hot dog, a chicago dog, a chili dog, and several big 1/3 pound burgers to try. Sandwiches include an Italian Roast Beef, a Grinder, BBQ Pulled Pork, and lots more.

My mom went with the Chicken Tender Salad - this is one of my favorite salads and the Whiskey River version is huge, with 2 big crispy chicken strips, hard boiled egg, cheese, tomatoes, and crunchy croutons. My mom said it was very tasty and even though she gave it a good try, she couldn't get through the whole thing. Awesome salad.

The menu said the Breaded Tenderloins were homemade, so of course I had to try one. Just look at this beauty! A very generous portion, this tenderloin was the perfect thickness for me, nice and tender and juicy. The crispy breading was flavorful and sooo good and crunchy. A big thumbs up.

Our server, Amanda, was friendly and very efficient. We were greeted quickly and she made sure we had everything we needed. I love to see servers who actually enjoy their job and their customers. She did a great job.

It looks like the Romares have really done a super job with the new Whiskey River - the fun atmosphere, the wonderful homemade food, the friendly staff - everything adds up to another bar/restaurant to add to your list of places you need to visit. We will definitely be back.